30 Vegetarian Christmas Dishes

First up in our vegetarian Christmas dishes...vegetarian meatloaf! This vegetarian meatloaf has been gaining fans for years and years. Our families ask us to make it, and we've heard countless people say: "Wait, there's no meat in this?" The texture and flavor are strikingly similar to meat. Slice it up and serve it with some of our sides below, and you'll have some very happy guests!

This vegetarian pot pie will literally wow your guests! The interior is full of root vegetables: carrots, potatoes, and peas, mixed with a gooey vegetarian gravy flavored with pesto and Parmesan. And it's topped with a flaky, golden pastry crust. It's truly a stunner! Make up 2 pies to serve a crowd.

Traditional shepherd's pie has a meaty filling topped with mashed potatoes: but this vegan spin has a hearty lentil filling! It's topped with rosemary Yukon gold mashed potatoes that are baked until golden. It requires a bit of prep work...but that's what Christmas dinner is for, right?

Another variation? Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie with French Lentils

This white cheddar mac and cheese is a true gem and perfect as a Christmas dish! The sharpness of the white cheddar cheese brings a sophistication, and the contrast of the bright roasted tomatoes is an unexpected flair. A nice feature to this white cheddar mac and cheese is that it doesn’t require baking time. Simply make the mac and cheese, top with roasted tomatoes, and serve!

Here’s a tasty pasta recipe that’s comfort food with a healthy spin: creamy cavatappi pasta! Cavatappi is corkscrew shaped pasta, and it's paired with a creamy cauliflower sauce that coats the noodles perfectly. It’s cheesy but not too rich, made with cauliflower to infuse all the nutrients in this healthy veggie. Paired with spinach and sundried tomato for a little red and green, it's perfect as vegetarian Christmas dish!

Another fantastic vegetarian Christmas dish is stuffed acorn squash! This one features a hearty stuffing of chewy wild rice, kale, and feta cheese crumbles. Top with crunchy pistachios and it's a showy dish that will wow everyone at the table.

This wild rice soup would be perfect as a vegan or vegetarian Christmas Eve dish! It's creamy and cozy, full of wild rice, white beans and mushrooms. The secret to the base? Blended cashews make it rich and creamy without dairy. This one has been made again and again with rave reviews!

What's more fun on Christmas Eve than loaded potato soup? This one is impossibly creamy with intermittent potato chunks, using no heavy cream at all! Old Bay gives it an irresistible undertone. And it’s so easy to make: you don’t even need a blender! Like any good recipe, the best part is the toppings. Load it up with whatever you like: here we used shredded cheese, sour cream, chives, and smoky, salty vegan bacon.

Here's a tradition that Alex and I do every holiday season: Christmas pizza! It's the perfect dish for Christmas Eve, and kiddos especially love to decorate the tree with vegetables. This one features red onion for garlands and red pepper as ornaments. And the green color? It comes from a thin layer of basil pesto!

What's a more classic vegetarian Christmas dish than baked brie cheese? There could not be an easier appetizer recipe, folks. Here’s what you need to know about making a melty, delicious pile of brie. The great part? The toppings are versatile depending on your preferences, and you can make a beautiful platter with little effort. Here’s what to do!

Here's a vegetarian finger food idea that's great for a Christmas tray: a good pinwheels recipe! And these tortilla roll ups are perfect. They’re full of Italian-style flavors: mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, spinach, and a blend of spices. They look totally stunning on a platter: perfectly red and green!

Let's move on to side dishes for vegetarian Christmas dinner, shall we? Yes, these really are the best Brussels sprouts! They're baked in a hot oven until totally crispy and perfectly salted. A holiday tip: try to bake these on their own to get enough airflow to get crispy! Baking a few things at the same time leads to soggy sprouts. (Or, got an Instant Pot? Try our Instant Pot Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan.)

There are mashed potatoes, and then there are roasted garlic mashed potatoes! These creamy, dreamy mashed potatoes are scented with the sweet aromatic flavor of roasted garlic. It’s milder and more luxurious than the typical pungent bite of the raw stuff. Mix it together with creamy Yukon gold potatoes and a bit of Parmesan cheese, and it’s truly something magical.

A hot oven makes magic with just about every vegetable; here it turns green beans into a tender, caramelized version of themselves. Add a spritz of lemon juice and a sprinkle of toasted almonds, and it’s an easy yet gourmet side dish that's perfect for Thanksgiving (or anytime).

Here’s a top-notch lentil salad recipe to add to your arsenal, and man is it tasty. This fresh and healthy lentil salad is Mediterranean-style, mixed with fresh veggies, feta cheese and pistachios. It’s a delicious way to add protein to a vegetarian Christmas meal as a side dish. You won't be able to stop eating it!

These braised vegetables taste like they’ve been roasting under a chicken all day long! But they’re fully plant based and healthy, bursting with flavor that takes cozy to the next level. They're the perfect side dish for any special occasion main, with the jewel toned purple onion and orange carrot. Ready to get braising?

Here's a stunning Christmas side dish recipe that's full of beautiful colors! There's the pink of roasted apples, golden cauliflower, and the bright purple of roasted red onion! Top it with fluffy fresh dill, and it's not only lovely to look at but seriously good.

This apple salad is one of our favorite recipes, and it would be perfect for Christmas dinner! Crisp apples are cut into matchsticks, and then you'll cut Manchego cheese into the same shape. Top with olive oil and chives, and each bite is sweet, tart and savory!

This beet salad is showy and full of contrasts! It's got tender roasted beets, tangy balsamic dressing, crunchy pistachios and creamy goat cheese. The red and green colors make it perfect for Christmas!

What's better than a crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside potato? To us, the mushy stuff just doesn’t compare. (Though these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are close!) We’ll show you how to make our favorite roasted potatoes, red potatoes that are baked until crispy with garlic powder then showered with fresh herbs. 

Shaved Brussels sprouts make the perfect base for a salad! They taste a little like a sweeter version of cabbage. Top with tart pomegranate seeds, crisp apple, and a tangy vinaigrette, and it's a seriously refreshing Christmas salad recipe.

What's better than mashed potatoes on Christmas? Mashed sweet potatoes! This one pairs sweet potatoes with Yukon gold potatoes to get just the right fluffy texture and savory flavor. If you have an Instant Pot, you can also make Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.

Want gravy with that? Try our Vegetarian Gravy or Vegan Gravy.

A fresh and colorful squash recipe: delicata squash salad! Here, delicata squash is roasted until caramelized and tender. It's served over a bed of baby greens with pistachios, pepitas, goat cheese crumbles and pomegranate seeds. Toss it with a honey mustard vinaigrette, and it's a healthy side dish everyone will love!

A similar salad that's quicker: Spinach Apple Salad.

A perfect vegetarian Christmas dish, these roasted vegetables result in the most colorful sheet pans that will please even the most veggie-wary eaters! They’re healthy, plant based, vegan and gluten-free, and even better: beautiful and delicious. This recipe makes 2 sheet pans and takes only 30 minutes to roast. If you're prepping for Christmas dinner, you can roast ahead and then reheat in a 400F oven prior to serving.

The coziest Christmas drink: mulled cider! This apple cider is simmered with whole spices until it's full of warm spiced flavor! Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and star anise make the best wafting aroma possible. Everyone will want a mug of this one! Add a splash of rum if you'd like! You can make it in a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stove.

Also try: Mulled Wine

Looking for a memorable signature Christmas cocktail? This Christmas martini is where it’s at: sweet tart, drinkable and beautifully festive! This martini is the perfect fit for entertaining. It’s easy to mix up and the color is beautifully brilliant from the cranberry juice. You can also make it as a pitcher for easy prep.

Also try: Christmas Margarita

This easy cranberry bread has just the right crunchy outside and fluffy interior. It’s not too sweet, punctuated with tart cranberries. The best part? A hint of vanilla and bourbon seals the deal. There’s a bit of a healthy spin, but it’s every bit a holiday treat! It's perfect as a Christmas appetizer or on a dessert tray.

Snowballs are a Christmas classic, and this one is a unique spin! It's made of almond flour (ground almonds), so it's filling and works for many diets. The kicker? It's flavored with chai spice: cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom. It adds the perfect cozy holiday flair.

This isn't a normal cookie. These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are full of texture and flavor. They’re gooey and chewy, loaded with dark chocolate and topped with sea salt. They’re just sweet enough, and filled with just the right amount of oats. The best part? They’re flavored with a hint of molasses, which makes them utterly irresistible. They're perfect for a Christmas cookie tray!

This apple pie really is the BEST, and it's a perfect centerpiece for Christmas. It's got gooey apples flavored with fresh ginger and spices, a rustic lattice crust, and a glittery maple glaze. Truly perfection!

Also try: A family favorite, Classic Vegan Apple Pie

And last up in our vegetarian Christmas dishes: classic Christmas pudding! My family makes this cranberry pudding every year. The spongy cranberry pudding is made perfect with a creamy, dreamy butter sauce poured over the top. It's the richest, most celebratory Christmas dessert you've ever had!